Cool elegance by the spoonful

By Russ Parsons, LOS ANGELES TIMES

Published 5:38 pm, Monday, August 31, 2009

Think about homemade ice cream, creamy and cold and full of fresh fruit flavor. Think about ice cream so light it seems to float off the spoon. You're not thinking about ice cream at all; you're thinking about frozen souffle.

A frozen souffle offers a decidedly different approach than making ice cream; it's sheer as chiffon and drop-dead elegant.

There are two slightly different styles of frozen souffle. Both are relatively easy to make -- only a little more complicated than homemade ice cream.

One frozen souffle is light and airy and based on what's called an Italian meringue, essentially beaten egg whites that have been cooked by slowly pouring in a very hot sugar syrup while the mixer is still running.

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The other is creamier, with a rich eggy flavor underpinning whatever else you decide to add. You base this one (technically a Bavarian cream) on a kind of custard -- egg yolks cooked gently with sugar until they're thick.

Neither of these processes is for the kitchen newbie. Eggs are notoriously temperamental, and if you're not comfortable beating egg whites to a stiff peak, you're probably not quite ready to whisk in a "soft-ball" sugar syrup to finish the meringue.

The key is organization.

Before you begin, have the fruit cooked, strained and cooled (a food mill will puree and strain the seeds and peels at the same time). Have the egg whites at room temperature and the whipping cream chilled to ensure you get the most volume out of each. Have the collar attached to the souffle dish.

To make the custard base, whisk egg yolks and sugar in a mixing bowl you've propped over a bowl of simmering water. You want to cook them over gentle heat, so don't let the water boil and don't let the bowl touch the water. Also, lift the edge of the bowl from time to time to let some steam escape. (Careful, it's hot! Use a dish towel or oven mitt.)

The egg yolks will turn pale gold and then swell and thicken. You'll know the mixture is ready when it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and when you don't feel any raw sugar when you rub a bit of the custard between your fingers.

Don't look now, but you've just made zabaglione (if you whisk in some Marsala or another flavoring) and you're well on your way to creme anglaise (if you stir in scalded milk and cook until that thickens).

Now fold the pureed fruit into the custard, fold the custard into the egg whites and fold the egg whites into the whipped cream. In the case of the egg whites and whipped cream, you'll get better results if you lighten the base with a bit of each before adding the rest. Fold gently, but mix thoroughly. Remember that egg whites and whipped cream are mainly masses of air bubbles that will make the souffle light if you keep them intact.

Use a spatula to cut straight down into the center of the mixture and then gently scoop and fold over the top. Turn the bowl as you work. It'll probably take a dozen folds to get a uniform mix.

Gently pour the mixture into the prepared souffle dish and freeze. It'll take at least four hours to get solid, and after that it'll last for a day or two without any ill effects. Bring it out to warm slightly before serving. The texture should be creamy, not icy.

The Italian meringue souffle takes fewer steps, but it does require a little more attention to temperature.

Start by bringing sugar, water and a little corn syrup to a boil in a small saucepan. Cook it until the temperature reaches 235 to 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. This is called the soft-ball stage because if you drop a little of the syrup into a glass of water, it will form a soft, pliable ball.

It'll take 10 to 15 minutes to cook the sugar down. Once the mixture becomes clear -- no sugar visible in the water -- stop stirring. Sugar cooked to these concentrations is prone to crystallization, and once this starts, things go bad quickly. Adding a little corn syrup will reduce the chances of this, but it can still happen. Brush the sides of the pan down with a little water if you see crystals forming.

The good news is that the syrup cooks by itself without much checking from you. So while it is boiling, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Remember, you want to whip them long enough that, when you lift the beater, you get a sharp point that doesn't fall over. Don't over beat, though, or the egg whites will turn grainy.

When the egg whites are stiff and the syrup is done, leave the mixer running and slowly pour the syrup down the side of the mixing bowl (if it hits the beater, you'll get gummy sugar strings).

This is one of the coolest things in cooking: The egg whites, which look airy and delicate at first, will billow and swell enormously and turn snowy white with a texture like the inside of a s'more. Keep beating until the outside of the mixing bowl is cool to the touch, another three to five minutes. Then fold in the fruit base and the whipped cream. Freeze. That's it.

The blackberry souffle recipe below is made with the Italian meringue base.

You can substitute whatever ripe seasonal fruit you prefer, however. Just remember that you'll need about 2 cups of it after cooking and straining. Whoever heard of something so elegant being so accommodating?